“Black Lives Matter movement reveals divides among Asian-American community.”

Yingyi Ma, an Associate Professor of Sociology in the Maxwell School, was interviewed by The South China Morning Post for the story, “Black Lives Matter movement reveals divides among Asian-American community.” The Black Lives Matter movement has shown a range of views and level of support among Asian-Americans, despite heightened harassment that many Asian-Americans received during the COVID-19 pandemic. A letter from Yale University undergraduate Eileen Huang went viral, as it addressed her support of the Black Lives Matter movement and warned of “the rampant anti-Blackness in the Asian-American community that, if unchecked, can bring violence to us all.” Professor Ma, who is also the Director of Asian/Asian American Studies, believed the letter “reflects the ethos of China’s Cultural Revolution, when the Chinese needed to articulate their position on social issues or become ostracized,” and that the movement “has really drawn this [generational] dynamic out into the public.”